Division B: Wild Tuesday sets up entertaining Saturday

This past Tuesday Brossard was home to three games that shook up the Division B standings. Speed Academy took sole possession of the last playoff spot, Idaho Udapimps strengthened their grip on first place, while Ice Pack kept their post-season hopes alive, while potentially shattering the those of #NR in the process.

No matter the season or division, there will always be teams that fall short of expectations, rise above them, or take a little while to show us who they really are. For Speed Academy they have dipped their toes into all three pools this season.

When you look at their roster, they have speed, size, depth, a solid Quarterback in Emile Pllante, and one of the best Rushers in the history of the league in J.C Ferland. Despite all that, this team has looked like anything but a contender so far this year.

That might have all changed Tuesday night in Brossard. Sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot and tied for points with KGP Dynasty, Speed Academy needed a win to get a little breathing room. To do so, they would have to knock off a second place Hard 8 squad that came into the game with the top ranked defense in the division (minimum six games played) and had won four of their last five games. 

 Hard 8 was without their starting Quarterback in Jeff Rosenblatt, but they had a more than capable replacement as they called on former All-Star QB Will Power.

The fireworks started early in this one as Speed Academy struck first, as Plante would connect on a 19-yard touchdown pass to Maxime Brissette. Hard 8 would respond right away as Power found Receiver Thomas Coutu for a 21-yard catch that resulted in a TD.

Hard 8 delivered the first defensive stand of the game, as they forced their opponents to turn the ball over on downs near the redzone. The team turned that stop into points just two plays later as Coutu would score his second TD of the contest on a 7-yard pass from Power.

Speed Academy trailed for the first time, but it wasn’t for long, as they only needed two plays of their own to tie the game, as Plante hit Receiver Jimmy Maneris for a 33-yard score, to retake the lead (16-14).

Just before halftime marked a crucial point in the game, as Hard 8 would score 14 unanswered points. The first six came on a touchdown by Receiver Vincent Malo. Then on the ensuing drive for their opponents, Rusher Ethan Adrian was able to sack Plante for a safety two plays later, giving his team an additional two points.

With the ball now in their possession, Power was able to open the flood gates, as he hit Bakari Barrett for a 30-yard TD. 

Both teams would add one more score each. We hit the halftime break with Hard 8 looking like they were in full control leading (34-24).

The opening whistle of the second half saw Speed Academy jump into action quicky, as they forced their first turnover of the game, when Defensive Back Félix Déry-Bernard picked off Power, three plays in. The team would turn the extra possession into points, as Plante delivered an 8-yard TD pass to Receiver Theo Cliché. To trim the deficit to four points.

With both offenses lighting up the scoreboard, it was a defensive stop that shifted the momentum of the game, as a sack by Ferland on Power on fourth down, gave Speed Academy the ball back with less than minute remaining in the game with the score tied at 48.

An already exciting game would end in thrilling fashion as Plante would hit Receiver Nykolas Pierre-Masse three plays later for the game-winning walk-off touchdown giving his team the (54-48) victory.

The win for Speed Academy was huge, as it put them two points up on KGP Dynasty, and in the process snapped a three-game losing streak. The 54 points scored was the most they have put up this season. They got contributions from the entire roster and received several clutch plays down the stretch to seal the victory.

 This is the type of performance we, and most likely the team, had been expecting the entire year. The main question that must be asked, is can they build on it? We won’t have to wait long to find out, as they take on KGP Dynasty in a huge matchup this Saturday at Loyola.

Another game that went down to the wire was the matchup between Ice Pack and #NR. Ice Pack came into the week two points up on last place #NR, but still on the outside of the playoffs looking in. #NR arrived in Brossard on a three-game losing streak. Even though both teams have losing records, the post-season was still achievable.

The loser of the game would pretty much all but be eliminated from the playoffs as both Camping Sans Boutin and KGP Dynasty who sat in ninth and tenth respectively, have games in hand on both Ice Pack and #NR.

 The matchup couldn’t have started worse for Ice Pack, as Quarterback Alex Szalipszki was intercepted by Kendal Mayers on the first play of the game. #NR would make their opponents pay, as QB Zach Deschamps would find Receiver Sanders Armand for the opening score of the game.

Ice Pack would get on the board as Szalipszki would redeem himself on is next drive, as after he found Clifdji Solon for a 25-yard gain, the QB would take a 10-yard scramble into the endzone.

#NR would take the lead once again as they got a touchdown Thierry Gerville. The advantage was short-lived, as Samuel Langlais found the endzone on a 10-yard strike from Szalipszki that tied the game up at 12. Both teams would score once more before the half, and we entered the break with an (18-18) tie.

The second half was just as close, as both sides found the endzone twice, and each Quarterback was sacked for a safety.

The final drive for both teams was just as exciting. After a huge fourth down reception by Tallec Baptiste that helped keep the offense on the field, Ice Pack would take a (34-33) lead on Solon’s second touchdown of the game. #NR answered right back however, as Gerville would add his additional TD to his total.

Looking to go for the win instead of going to overtime, #NR elected to go for a 2-point conversion, even though they were 0 for 3 in that situation during the game. The decision would backfire, as they couldn’t connect on the game’s final throw.

The loss for #NR wasted a fantastic performance by Receiver Kenny Baye, who led all players with five catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, the defeat also sealed their fate as a non-playoff team.

For Ice Pack, the victory not only extended their winning to three games, but it also allowed them to leapfrog both KGP Dynasty, and Speed Academy, putting the first-year team in seventh place. Well done guys.

Eight weeks into the regular season, and it has become crystal clear that Idaho Udaipimps are the best team. They have the top record and have shown they can beat teams via blowout and in close games using a high-powered offense and a suffocating defense.

Their latest win was a (46-24) beat down of KGP Dynasty. The 24 points allowed was the lowest amount they have surrendered this season. That total was even better than the 27 they gave up one week earlier versus FPF’s Most Wanted.

In the win on Tuesday, Idaho Udapimps were led defensively by the duo of Brady Ohanessian and Yvan Salomon. The former recoded a game-high two interceptions, while the latter had one. The team also forced two turnovers on downs in the first half.

One of the biggest factors in their win was that Idaho Udapimps were able to turn all four extra possessions into points, as they got touchdown receptions from Justin White, Jerome Hovington, and two by Marvin Steinberg.

The victory was the fourth straight for the team. After a bye this week, they finish off the regular season taking on Camping Sans Boutin, Les Petites Carottes, and Hard 8. While it won’t be easy, would anyone be surprised if they went undefeated the rest of the way?

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